Mt.Conness is another peak that's always loomed in the distance like a magnate. My gal, the beautiful Miss Colleen and our friend Andre had gone to climb it a couple of years ago but were thwarted by bad approach info. We all tried again last summer but thunderstorms shut the trip down.
However, for this go round, the weather was perfect. So Miss Colleen, Andre, his sister Mareli and I set off for the mount...........

Hiking in from Lembert Dome to Young Lakes

Credit: Miss Colleen!

We spent the night at Young Lakes, then climbed the next morning. The weather was perfect.

The crew at Young Lake. Me, Marely, Miss Colleen and Andre. Ragged Peak in the background.

Credit: Andre Dreyer

Ragged peak

Credit: Miss Colleen!

Wheee!

Credit: Miss Colleen!

Mareli jumping above the Mt.

Credit: Andre Dreyer

The West Ridge from Young Lakes.

Credit: Miss Colleen!

Moon above Young Lakes.

Credit: Miss Colleen!

Dawn of a new day

Dawn hits ragged peak.

Credit: Miss Colleen!

Andre and Miss Colleen had an epic overland journey from here two years ago and approached to the east, up the scree fields, down the notch and to the base of the West ridge exhausted and too late and tired to climb. So this trip was redemptive for them. Andre remembered a direct cross country way from the base to Young Lakes from their previous trip and so Andre retraced us back that way.

We headed north from the lake at Ragged Peak overland directly to the Conness. This entails traversing down a gentle wooded gully to a stream, following the east side of the stream up slope (not hard) until Conness is visible and then heading for the meadow before it.

Andre, our fearless trailblazer.

Credit: Mareli Dreyer

Traversing overland north of Young Lakes.

Credit: Andre Dreyer

Andre led us by memory directly to the meadow south of Conness. We decided to try two ways of getting to the foot of the West Ridge. Andre and Mareli decided on taking the slabs and talus down and east of the foot while Miss Colleen and I elected to take the meadow to the moraine west of the ridge, climb the talus to it's peak slightly west of the toe and then traverse up to it. Both ways worked well. The approach for us was easy as the talus is compact and easy to traverse. It took all of us an hour and twenty minutes from the lake to the foot of the West Ridge.

Time to climb!

Andre and Mareli scoping the ridge.

Credit: wstmrnclmr

Andre and Mareli climbed just east of the main ridge up the band of a thousand cracks. Miss Colleen and I headed up the more broken rib at the top of the talus toe.